The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-03-25


10 have her kitchen All cluttered up BY
a passcl q dirty boys"
Wood-choppings were frequent IN
the neIghborhood. even among well-to-
do people. and they always ended with
= nice supper and i party in the .
Ing. 70 which all the girls came, II they
had not already met and spent the day
quilting or sewing carpet rags.
Miss Matilda was q wcll.tO-do wom-
an. with . nice horse. and had invited
us 70 come and chop her wood for her.
But" she said. ''boys ought to think
Of something besides SUNNI them
selves and goin' 20 play-partics.
Of course we were Indignant. and did
what we ought not to have done. and
that was. we made = small-a very
small-heap Of our pie and bread. aud
left Il on Miss Downey's doorstep. For
this she never forgave US. although
she did not hesitate 1T any time TO
call on some one Of US when she want
ed a favor done. IL was after dark
when we boys. twenty-cight in num-
Der. passed Miss Matilda's home on the
night Of our egg-eating party.
Her barn stood near the road, and
just as we came in front Of il. the door
opened and out ran a very handsome
and spirited young snow.wh ite FLY,
for which Miss Matilda had paid a
large sum She took great pride in
the beautiful colt. for she was a pro
nounced lover of horses. After the
flly. and in swift pursuit. came Miss
Matilda, a tin lantern i'm her hand.
''Why. yon tribe Of young scampsr'
she cried, when she saw us. where
You goin', sncakin' along like thisP
Some Of you RIM after that mare Of
mine! She pushed the door open with
her head. Hurry up. some Of you! I'll
give a fried cake to the one that catches
herr
Notwithstanding the munificence OF
this offer. none Of the boys ran after the
lilly. Indeed. it was useless "a do SO.
for the animal had already disappeared
down the road.
"What!' shrieked Miss Downey.
You won't any q you goe Apurty
lot Of young rascals you arei Out for
no good. I'll be bound! Folks lad bet
ter lock their hcn-roosts, | should say!
Be of from here now, or I'll turn my
dogs on YOU"
Her dogs. Of which she kept two.
were as ugly and cross-grained as their
mistress. and her threat sent us down
the roa din hot haste. When d quar-
ter Of a mile distant. we could see a
light in motion across the distant fields,
and concluded that Miss Matilda had
gone in search If her filly, for which
she seemed to have more affection than
for any human being in the world.
The place we had selected for our
festivities was 4 cave two miles from
Downcr's Forks. The cave was q e
discovery in the neighborhood, and
various conjcctures were rife rs to its
probable history. We had never held
our egg carnival in IL. and the idea Of
doing SO had a charming tingc u ro-
nance and possible adventure for us.
Several Of US believed In our secret
souls that the cave had once been the
rendezvous Of a band OF robbers; nay,
some believed that robbers still came
to Il. aid that a careful search might
reveal hidden booty.
There were farm hands in the neigh
borhood who declared that the cave
was haunted. and said that strange
lights Ind been seen in the vicinity and
strange noises had been heard. A
wild beast Of some unknown kind had
been killing sheep and pigs in the
neighborhood. and il was said that
strange footprints had been seer near
the cave.
The cave was at the top Of a high
bluff overlooking a little stream called
Goose creek. 1t was a locality but
little frequented. But after the discov-
cry Of the cave a rough trail was made,
so that the summit Of the bluff could be
reached by parties on horseback.
The cave was. after all, q very ordi-
nary cave. II was not more than sew
enty-fvc feet in length. and ut the end
Of il there was . great room-like cavity
more than fifty feet in height Diverg-
ing from the main entrance were two
tunnel-like excavations each about
forty feet in length, and small, low
chambers were nj the end Of these side
tunnels.
But the summit Of the bluff was a
Withholding place at night, and when
we boys climbed mp the rocky bluff-sidc
and entered the cave we huddlcd pretty
close together. and did not laugh very
much.
On the way mp we had. in boyish
fashion, given ourselves such suggest
i've names as Daring Dick. Redhandcd
Bill, Two Fingered Jack, Roy the
Rover, Bloody Tom, and 90 on.
My own awc-inspiring name was
Dcath-Dcaling Dan, while brother JEFF
stood shivcring in the cave under the
name 81 Fearless Frank. Frightened
JEFF would have been u more apt cog
nomen.
We had carried sticks and brush in
~ cha ra~. Iurs~.~ ~. .,r.xs.uo J.xt